INTRO I like the fact that looking into my inbox today revealed that there was a new offering from Dan Clark Audio. Officially dubbed Aeon 2 Noire, this headphone is dressed all in black and offers a new spin on tuning to be more in line with the Harman curve. The only other change that A2N carries is that the stock pads have a redesigned perforated interior wall. The Noire is offered at a current discount price of $675 instead of the $900 standard retail price. Of course looks are subjective for each person. And personally, I do indeed like the all...

I don't always “need” a closed headphone. For my own preference, I've historically chosen open backed headphones for their more natural tonality and openness of the sound staging. But times they are a changing. I find myself working from home more often than ever before. And with two kids still in the nest and three rowdy dogs, a good closed back set seemed to be in order. Because I typically grind my teeth at the sound of ANC headphones, I knew that I'd want a set with good passive isolation. And because of a degenerative issue in my neck, I'd also...

Dan Clark of MrSpeakers fame never seems to rest. He is always working harder to build on his former success and make something better. An ambition for perfection might seem a fool’s errand, but it’s often where greatness can be achieved. To be honest, when Dan told me that he was working on ETHER 2, I didn’t exactly think it was his greatest brainchild (sorry Dan). First of all, the original is an amazing product in its own right. I wondered just how much improvement he would be able to make in a successor and honestly whether or not people really...

MrSpeakers ÆON   Intro:   This is a great time to be in the headphone hobby. The science, materials and passion for the hobby seem to be converging at the right time and manufacturers are producing products that take headphone performance to all new and captivating levels.  As hobbyist, we have more choices and offerings than ever before.  Unfortunately, not everything in the hobby is trending in such a positive direction. Prices for new headphone products are gravitating upward and onward. Some manufacturers seem to tack on another zero to what...

I was an early adopter of the original hifiman he-1000 (part of the original beta group). At the end of the beta period I elected to keep the product and it was replaced with the newest and latest version. I personally enjoyed this headphone very much. It needed a clean and powerful amp to really get the best from it. But when amped properly, you had a special experience.   Now enter hifiman he-1000 v2. Upon visual inspection, it looks very much like its predecessor with the edition of new cables. As you look more closely you notice the new pads...

Alex is quite in interesting guy. I spent about an hour with him on the phone discussing his journey and his craft. Honestly, it's a compelling story. The story is well known and has been told before so I won't bother to rehash it in great detail. But let me say that I believe that Alex is passionate and talented and that he has something special to contribute to the world of hi end personal audio.   I followed the Oppo headphone story closely from the first mention of the product by Jude when the pm-1 was still very much a beta product. Many of us...

The ETHER:   Fit Finish and Build Quality:   I have not encountered many problems with regard to quality control with previous Mr. Speakers products, but of course this is a ground up project which introduces a whole new realm of potential problems. While it is pretty early, let me say this. The Ether is an incredibly well thought out design. The execution of the design in terms of fit, finish and materials are some of the very best I've seen. I grilled Dan for the better part of an hour at the Nashville meet about the build process. One thing I...

First of all, I'd like to thank Joe Saxon at headphoneaudiophile.com for the review sample for this critique of the new Momentum 2. I have been looking forward to hearing this one since it was announced, so let's get down to business.   I owned the original Momentum. I wanted to like them. They were wonderfully lightweight, and elegant in design. They could be amped easily and had a nice sense of style about them. I sold them after two weeks after purchase though. What killed the romance for me? Two things. The original momentum was billed as a...

Build Quality and Comfort   No matter how good the sound of a headphone, if you have a model that is poorly constructed or prone to break it will be difficult to enjoy and appreciate them in the long run.  Despite some problems with build quality on earlier hifiman models, there are simply no problems to report here.  I’m very appreciative of the crew at hifiman who’ve listened to the community and redesigned the 400i, making the quality, fit, and finish leagues above most offerings.  I just love the design choices here. The paint is beautiful and...

Okay, these are my thoughts after a few hours. I recognize that's it's only been a few hours, but my opinion rarely changes with additional time.      Initial Impressions:   As has been mentioned almost ad nauseam, the comfort is supreme with the new design.  What HFM has done with regard to the design and improved comfort is impressive. This is all day comfort folks. It's not just about being lighter in weight, they are. It's also about "balanced" weight. That being said, this is what I have issues with:   *For goodness sake, please get the...

Just wanted to share my thoughts on the vaunted m50's...not that more reviews are needed. First off, I couldn't be happier with them except for the comfort level. I need a break from them after about an hour and it's a tough concession as I really don't want to take them off!! I plan to stretch them out a little and see if it makes a difference.    The best way that I can describe the m50's is that they seem to be able to play just about any genre well...effortlessly. The sound is rich, articulate, a bit heavy on the bass (which I like) and...